Forgive Me
by One More Time
Summary: Its been a few years since Sasuke's choice to join Orochimaru. A drought has taken over Konoha and Ino's shop begins to lose business because of their lack of flowers. So Ino and Sakura both decide to go on a journey to save the business. Even Shikamaru a


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and if I did, I'd be insanely creative and I'm not. So yay! All goes to Kishimoto Masashi.

**Chapter One: I Can Save You**

The cool night air blew back soft pink hair as a figure leaned up against the railing. Two hands reached up to remove the small metal protector, that clung onto the fabric. Her green eyes gazed at all of it's scratches, marks and memories etched into it. It used to feel so new in her hand back when she was younger. She had been faced with so many real life situations, but the only reason she was able to pull through was because of her team, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and...Sasuke.

"Sakura! It's time for bed!" A peeved voice poured its way onto the balcony. Haruno Sakura clenched the forehead protector with the engraved leaf symbol. Ignoring the voice, Sakura turned once more to gaze up at the stars. Everytime she saw him, her stomach lurched and her cheeks flushed. Why did she feel these things? A frown set in as she bit her lower lip. Was it his dark, deep and mysterious eyes? Was it those arms she always longed feel wrap around her? Sakura exhaled gently, and continued to scan the dark skies for anything. Perhapes a star to pathetically wish upon? There were so many out tonight. Every night, Sakura prayed and prayed on them. And the millions that twinkled teasingly at her never seemed to fulfill her wish. They only made things worse. He had drifted farther and farther from her reach until he finally physcially left.

"Sasuke-kun... I need you right now. Why didn't you ever talk to me? Listen to me? Take me seriously?" She whispered and squinted her eyes to keep her tears back. Sakura felt her forehead protector slip out from her fingers. The metal made a dull sound as it hit the ground. She felt the tears force themselves out of her eyes.

"I can save you..." A hand reached out from the balcony as if to grab onto a star. "If only you'd let me..."

---

Sakura sheilded her eyes from the sun as she glanced around the Konoha streets. It was really arid and hot out. It felt like some sort of mild drought. Things had changed within the two years of Sasuke's decision to join Orochimaru. Everyone had grown physically and mentally. It had been a long way, but everyone was doing fine. She liked to think she was doing all right, but sometimes she had a hard time adjusting to the empty feeling in her stomach. Sakura didn't even know how to describe it or what to call it. Two sets of footsteps slowly collided with the sound of her own. She glanced over her shoulder and stopped walking.

"Shikamaru. Chouji. Where are you two headed?" Sakura asked curiously as they stopped. Shikamaru had his hands in his pockets, like letting them dangle there was too much trouble for him. As he lifted up his shoulder, Shikamaru wiped sweat from his forehead onto his Chuunin vest he had receieved a few years back. He sighed loudly, then glanced over at Sakura.

"Since it's too hot to train, we're going to watch the clouds." Shikamaru said lazily, then looked up to the sky. There weren't a lot of clouds in the sky, though. Sakura blinked. She guessed this wasn't very unusual for them.

"What about you, Sakura? Where are you going?" Chouji asked and dug around in the plastic chip bag for more of those fattening foods. He shoveled them into his mouth before he grinned. Then he wipped his hand onto his scarf he always wore. Sakura frowned, and shuffled her feet before replying.

"Uhm.. just around, I suppose. Maybe stop by the flower shop." She said while she stared at Chouji's scarf. Why did he wear that in this kind of heat? She figured she might ask, but Shikamaru interrupted her before Sakura could mumble out the words.

"Well, suit yourself. Ino is being irritating today...Said that her mom was making her work, all day." He sighed, then glanced over to Chouji.

"She's always irritating." Sakura grumbled and crossed her arms acrossed her chest. "Besides, it's not her I'm going to see."

"Oh? Well if you're going to go get flowers for any reason, might wanna rethink it." Shikamaru said, and lifted a hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck. Sakura frowned. She was putting a flower in her room every time the other one would wilt away. It was a little dedication to a certain missing person.

"...Why?"

"You'll see when you get to the flower shop." Chouji said inbetween chews.

This made Sakura extremely curious of what might be waiting for her at the flower shop. What exactly did they mean? She waved good-bye to Shikamaru and Chouji, who continued their own way. Sakura followed the street that she remembered the flower shop on, as thoughts swarmed about in her mind. _You'll see when you get to the flower shop._ As she walked down the street, she could see Ino's mom outside the shop, cleaning the windows to the shop.

"Good morning, Sakura!" She said, and continued on wiping the windows. Sakura smiled as she remembered the days when she would spend the nights over at Ino's house, right above this shop. Her mother would come into Ino's room and tell them countless times to go to sleep.

"Good Morning! How are you?" It had been a long time since Sakura had an actual conversation with any of Ino's parents. Ever since they stopped being friends, she tried to avoid them a lot. When she couldn't, they didn't treat her any different which always made her feel guilty.

"Oh... well. I'm doing alright. How about you, dear?" Her voice seemed a little stressed as she peered into the glass at the shop. Sakura leaned in a bit to try and see just what Mrs. Yamanaka might be looking at.

"I'm doing just fine, thanks. Is...Ino around?" Sakura asked. She felt her cheeks flush at the name as Ino's mom stopped to dip her cloth into the bucket of bubbly water.

"Yes, actually she should be right inside the store. Go on ahead, dear!" Mrs. Yamanaka smiled and resumed her duties of washing the window. Sakura grinned and then stepped inside. The first thing that came to her mind was the fresh smell of flowers was missing. The second thing was the shop was empty. Almost empty of flowers, at least. Sakura walked in a little further and took a good look around. There was only a little bunch that sat in the corner, but that was about it.

"Sakura?"

"...Hmm?" Sakura turned to look behind her, and caught eyes with Ino. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, like normal, while a strand of hair hung down. Ino walked off the first step of the stairs that led up, passed Sakura, then came to the counter. She hopped up onto it and let her legs dangle.

"What are you doing here? There are no flowers, as you can see." She said as she leaned back on the palm of her hands. Sakura gave her a look, then walked over to the only survivors left from the drought. She knelt down next to the flowers and took one in her hand. She suddenly felt stupid. Why _was_ she here? Sakura tried to change the subject.

"This is what Chouji and Shikamaru meant, huh?" She looked up from the worn out flower and over to who she thought was her rival. The look in Ino's eyes was soft. But it instantly went away when Ino shrugged her shoulders, as if what Sakura said might be an insult.

"They stopped by this morning. Asuma-sensei was going to have us train today but it's too hot. He said we'd faint within the first fifteen minutes." She replied, and made sure to put a smirk on her face. Sakura gazed down at the flower again and allowed her fingers to delicately touch the petals.

"So you're just going to wait until the drought ends or what?" She said, her eyes still glued to the flower.

"I guess there's not much of a choice... But there is another way." Ino sighed and slid down off the counter to lean against it, then continued. "There's a really big field of flowers outside of this town about a days walk from Konoha. My parents want me to go, but they won't let me go alone. Chouji says he had chores and Shikamaru never got back to me on it. What lame excuses." She said. Sakura cringed a bit and gave her smile. They just didn't want to go with her because she was bitchy.

"Well I could go with you, if you want." She said and put the flower back in the bunch. When she stood up, Ino raised her eyebrow at her.

"You actually want to go?"

"...Uhm. Why? Is it a problem that I do? Are you afraid I might be stronger than you?" Even though strength had nothing to do with this, she needed to talk big. She kind of wanted to be friends with Ino again. She missed their giggles together, ice-cream sharing and sleeping over at each others house. Ino was silent for a while.

"You? Stronger than _me_? Ha! We can start tomorrow morning. How does that sound? Meet here around 8." She responded then couldn't help but smirk. Sakura gave her one of her own smirks.

"Sounds just great. Get some sleep. You'll need it if you wanna keep up with me tomorrow." Sakura said then walked to the door. Ino snorted in a very unlady like manner and watched Sakura leave. She frowned gently and looked down to her feet. Would they ever become the way they were again? She missed her best friend too much... The way Ino looked at things, every person is made up of shards. The biggest pieces are the ones most important to you. Sakura was the biggest piece of Ino and she lost that. She pushed herself off the counter with her hip and walked over to the flower Sakura had been gazing at over here. As she knelt down, Ino felt her cheeks grow warm. It was a cosmos flower...The same type Ino had explained to Sakura just a few years back when they were little. She smiled gently and took the flower. Ino walked back to the counter and took a small vase then filled it with water. She slipped the cosmos gently into it.

"I can save you." Ino gently whispered to the flower. "If only you'd let me."

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**Authors Notes:**Uh thats the first chappie. I'd like to thank Nella for being my LOVELY beta. Shes the best X3. I've already gotten the second chapter done, I just need to edit it. Please be gentle if you're commenting. I'm...very sensitive XD


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